An event, like the one Zeth held. But this time I know there won’t be any dark rooms to hide in. No corner in which to retreat and pretend to be outside of it all. I’m going to have to participate, and I’m going to have to make it look convincing for both mine and Zeth’s sakes.
That’s something to worry about tomorrow, though. I have to focus on the task at hand while I’m here. I start in with general questions, waiting for an in to discuss other matters.
“So is it just you girls that live here? The place seems really big for just seven of you.”
“Oh no, there’s usually nine of us altogether,” Sara says. “Kady’s gone into the city to get a nose job. Julio paid for that, can you believe it? He said it was putting people off and no one was gonna fuck her if she had a hooked old-man nose. He shelled out for the whole thing—the surgeon, the hotel, expenses, everything.” She sounds jealous; I’m getting the feeling Sara had to fund her fun bags personally. “Anyway, one of the other girls Chloe went with her to keep her company. And Sophia’s the other girl. She’s gone to meet with one of the groups of guys who are coming here tomorrow. She’ll be back tomorrow afternoon, I guess. Chloe and Kady, too, although Kady won’t be working. She’s gonna have two black eyes, I bet. Can you imagine how bad she’s—”
Sara keeps talking, talking, talking, not even pausing for breath, and I run through this new information in my mind. Chloe, Kady and Sophia. No Alexis. But then again, I know she’s here; Zeth told me he’s seen pictures taken by Michael before he got caught, so they must have changed her name or something. She’s not Kady, that’s for sure. Alexis is even more fine-boned than I am; no one would ever accuse her of having a hooked old-man nose. That leaves Chloe and Sophia. My heart sinks in my chest when I realize I’m not going to be able to speak to Alexis until tomorrow night now.
And what if I can’t even speak to her properly then? What if we’re surrounded by people all night long and the opportunity doesn’t present itself? I’ll just have to make it happen, I guess. Come hell or high water, I’m getting my sister out of there.
“Why the hell didn’t you tell me you were Rebel’s cousin?”
Michael’s out of his dirty, blood-stained clothing and back in a well turned-out suit, the way I’m used to seeing him. I’ve thought about laying the motherfucker out for keeping something so huge from me, but it’s wasted energy. He has a right to keep shit like that under lock and key. And making him bleed would only mean he’d have to go get changed again.
“Not my call, Zee. I’d have told you way back when, but Rebel doesn’t want people knowing about family, y’know? Thinks it’s a weakness to have people out there worth kidnapping and torturing. Bad for business. Especially if you’re in the kind of business he’s in. He’s got enemies, man. Big ones.”
I grunt, knocking back my beer. “Makes sense. Still…”
“Yeah, I know, man. I know. I could have trusted you with it. I should have.”
Michael knows Rebel was the one who bid on Sloane’s V-card. He also knows how I feel about sick motherfuckers who kidnap girls and rape them against their will. I’m quiet about most things, but this is perhaps the one thing I’ve been vocal about. He undoubtedly knew I wouldn’t react to well if I’d found out before all of this that Rebel was Michael’s blood.
“You heard from him since Julio’s call before?” I ask.
Michael nods, collecting a beer from the ice bucket by the pool and sitting down to join me. “That’s why I came to see you. He’s coming here.”
I point to the floor at my feet. “Here? Rebel’s coming here ? Why?”
“For the event. To ghost Julio for causing me grief. To screw some girls. I don’t know. He just told me to expect him.”
This is fucking fantastic news. Fucking. Fantastic. An onslaught of problems
That’s something to worry about tomorrow, though. I have to focus on the task at hand while I’m here. I start in with general questions, waiting for an in to discuss other matters.
“So is it just you girls that live here? The place seems really big for just seven of you.”
“Oh no, there’s usually nine of us altogether,” Sara says. “Kady’s gone into the city to get a nose job. Julio paid for that, can you believe it? He said it was putting people off and no one was gonna fuck her if she had a hooked old-man nose. He shelled out for the whole thing—the surgeon, the hotel, expenses, everything.” She sounds jealous; I’m getting the feeling Sara had to fund her fun bags personally. “Anyway, one of the other girls Chloe went with her to keep her company. And Sophia’s the other girl. She’s gone to meet with one of the groups of guys who are coming here tomorrow. She’ll be back tomorrow afternoon, I guess. Chloe and Kady, too, although Kady won’t be working. She’s gonna have two black eyes, I bet. Can you imagine how bad she’s—”
Sara keeps talking, talking, talking, not even pausing for breath, and I run through this new information in my mind. Chloe, Kady and Sophia. No Alexis. But then again, I know she’s here; Zeth told me he’s seen pictures taken by Michael before he got caught, so they must have changed her name or something. She’s not Kady, that’s for sure. Alexis is even more fine-boned than I am; no one would ever accuse her of having a hooked old-man nose. That leaves Chloe and Sophia. My heart sinks in my chest when I realize I’m not going to be able to speak to Alexis until tomorrow night now.
And what if I can’t even speak to her properly then? What if we’re surrounded by people all night long and the opportunity doesn’t present itself? I’ll just have to make it happen, I guess. Come hell or high water, I’m getting my sister out of there.
“Why the hell didn’t you tell me you were Rebel’s cousin?”
Michael’s out of his dirty, blood-stained clothing and back in a well turned-out suit, the way I’m used to seeing him. I’ve thought about laying the motherfucker out for keeping something so huge from me, but it’s wasted energy. He has a right to keep shit like that under lock and key. And making him bleed would only mean he’d have to go get changed again.
“Not my call, Zee. I’d have told you way back when, but Rebel doesn’t want people knowing about family, y’know? Thinks it’s a weakness to have people out there worth kidnapping and torturing. Bad for business. Especially if you’re in the kind of business he’s in. He’s got enemies, man. Big ones.”
I grunt, knocking back my beer. “Makes sense. Still…”
“Yeah, I know, man. I know. I could have trusted you with it. I should have.”
Michael knows Rebel was the one who bid on Sloane’s V-card. He also knows how I feel about sick motherfuckers who kidnap girls and rape them against their will. I’m quiet about most things, but this is perhaps the one thing I’ve been vocal about. He undoubtedly knew I wouldn’t react to well if I’d found out before all of this that Rebel was Michael’s blood.
“You heard from him since Julio’s call before?” I ask.
Michael nods, collecting a beer from the ice bucket by the pool and sitting down to join me. “That’s why I came to see you. He’s coming here.”
I point to the floor at my feet. “Here? Rebel’s coming here ? Why?”
“For the event. To ghost Julio for causing me grief. To screw some girls. I don’t know. He just told me to expect him.”
This is fucking fantastic news. Fucking. Fantastic. An onslaught of problems
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